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About 100 miles north of Westchester is where you can find the original grounds of the infamous Woodstock festival in Bethel. For those of us that were too young to attend, there hasn’t been much reason to head up that way in years past. But as of late there has been a bit of a renaissance in the area.

Neighboring Monticello has transformed its Raceway into a Casino while boutique art galleries and small shops are popping up left and right. The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is a great place to see a show or check out the history of Woodstock itself. But most intriguing (for me anyway) is the new kick ass distillery and saloon that opened right across the street from Bethel Woods.

I stopped in the Catskill Distilling Company recently and met with owner and Distiller/Veternarian Monte Sachs. He graciously showed me around the joint and explained the inner workings of his personal grown up playground. The set up is quite impressive including his mashing/milling room, the expedited barrel aging shed and of course his custom made copper still.

My visit was randomly well timed as he was distilling his Most Righteous Bourbon that day, and most righteous it is! It was being collected at the white dog stage…pretty cool to be able to sample it before the barrel aging process (at around 65-70% alcohol!). Following his in depth tour we sampled the finished product next to some other well known premium bourbons that basically dominate the market. While everyone’s palate varies, the Most Righteous clearly out shined the competition with more intense aromas, flavors and amazing balance…not what I expected!

To be honest, all the spirits being produced there really impressed. His Defiant Rye is spicy and oily packed with lemon citrus goodness. The Wicked White Whiskey is their version of moonshine, and while it has a definite bite to it, the six grain spirit is expressive while not overpowering on the alcohol. But my favorite booze in the Catskill Spirit portfolio has to be the Curious Gin. Made with 14 different botanicals and local juniper berries, it is as lovely, fruity and floral as it is clean, herbal and balanced. It has become my house gin for Martinis and Negronis, and at $20 a bottle it’s very affordable to keep stocked.

You can check out their website to see all their homemade spirits, distillery history and some fun cocktail recipes as well. And if you are ever up seeing a show or checking out the Woodstock Museum at Bethel Woods, this place is not to be missed. Bring the family as the Dancing Cat Saloon (also owned by Monte) is right next door with some good eats and a solid selection of brews.

Salute!

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Wine pairing dinners are popping up all over the culinary world these days. No longer are they limited to high end restaurants or wineries. You can find these carefully curated menus matched alongside their perfect wine counterparts at such venues as local pubs, car dealerships, real estate openings, corporate functions and most recently country club dining rooms.

I attended such a dinner at the scenic GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills which featured the wines of Joseph Drouhin. With club members expressing an interest in overall wine exposure and education, ownership brought a Certified Sommelier on board to help quench that thirst. Fernando Silva, a Master Somm in training, has overhauled the club’s entire wine list and worked diligently to put together this event showcasing the 2011 vintage of selected Drouhin wines as well as the culinary creations of GlenArbor’s kitchen.

In keeping with a Burgundy themed evening, the Chef prepared a menu highlighting a few traditional French dishes including a celeriac risotto with marrow accent, a local striped bass dish and crepinettes of guinea hen alongside a guinea hen roulade. While there was some confusion regarding which wines were to be paired with which dishes for the first couple of courses, it did not seem to bother the members who appeared more than content with the wines in their glasses as well as the quality of dishes being served.

The white wine selections for the evening were the Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault and the very impressive Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru all from the 2011 vintage. The Batard was quite a treat, as there is not much wine to come out of this small Grand Cru vineyard. Layered and complex with notes of honey, lemon, and tropical fruits playing beautifully off the buttered toast, smoky oak and nutty backbone. It possesses amazing structure and length as well. While tasting through these whites, Laurent Drouhin (a Westchester resident) expressed his passion for not only his wines but for the region in general. His motto was “If you can’t come to Burgundy, Burgundy comes to you” when tasting his Drouhin wines.

The reds were up next and they were all served alongside the duo of guinea hen main course. Choosing to serve three wines with basically one dish was a little unorthodox, but in this relaxed environment where everyone knows and seems to enjoy one another’s company, it was not an issue. The Gevrey-Chambertin was showing nicely already with forward cherry and fresh strawberry fruit laced with hints of peppery spice and vanilla. The famed Clos des Mouches wine started a bit musty and gamey. However with some time the dark berry fruit, classic minerality and licorice nuances came about giving it a good amount of charm while displaying that classic Burgundy terroir.

But the wine of the night was easily the 2011 Echezaux. It took about 2 hours to finally show its true colors, but when it did it was truly stunning. Offering aromas of dried red cherry and berry, plum and raspberry with intensely fragrant notes of rose petals and sage. It maintained elegance and balance that only a well made Echezaux can, and is clearly a wine for the cellar as it will age over the next decade or more.

On top of the quality wines being served, what the members seemed to enjoy most was the explanations and descriptions of the wines given by Laurent. He provided insight into the vineyards, the winemaking process and his family history giving those in attendance a glimpse into the Drouhin way of life. Since Laurent is not only a Westchesterite, but a golfer as of a few years ago (and apparently he has been bitten by the bug pretty seriously), everyone seemed to relate to one another on some level and enjoyed the vibe of the evening.

Golf and wine are a perfect pairing of passions for many, so why not indulge in both all in the same day?! However it’s not as easy as it may seem to pull off. The club needs a kitchen staff that has the skill to execute a serious dinner service and put together an appropriate menu. Some high quality juice needs to be served, preferably with a host that can entertain and educate the members throughout the course of the evening. But the most important factor is the desire of the members to act on their passion and create an environment where wine becomes a priority within the workings of the club. If that all adds up, you have a pretty special scenario that can lead to some wonderful culinary experiences.

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There are few things more elegant and mesmerizing than watching wine endlessly twirl within the bowl of a crystal glass. Those who do it well can almost create designs with their swirl, changing direction and speed at will. For some, it can be so addictive that it becomes like second nature and the swirling never stops. I know I am certainly guilty of that on many occasions.

Beyond its visual appeal there is an actual purpose to this entertaining, mildly annoying, ritual. Wine needs to breathe… and the bottom line is the more air you can get to the wine as quickly as possible, the faster all those hidden nuances and complexities will show themselves. For the same reason most wines will benefit from being decanted, swirling the wine allows the most surface area to come in contact with oxygen thereby allowing the wine to breath and open up.

Certain glass makers, like Riedel, take it even one step further. They leave tiny traces of lead in their glass (hence the name lead crystal) to improve this process. People ask me all the time… isn’t that dangerous? From all the studies that have been done the amount is so miniscule it is completely harmless. But it gives a hint of texture to the inside of the bowl. So that while you are swirling, the small non-visible bumps in the glass can help aeration of the wine as you twirl and swirl your favorite juice.

Once you get good, you can swirl your decanters or even 2-3 glasses at a time! But if you are about to enjoy a really young, tannic wine or an older vintage Bordeaux that needs to open up, then swirl away! It may take some practice but once you get the hang of it you may never stop.
Cheers!

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I know that may sound like an oxymoron to some, so allow me to elaborate. My colleague and I curate and teach a wine education and tasting program for our internal staff . It’s meant to provide not only a basic overall knowledge of wine, but to learn how to taste and utilize all of your senses. Granted, we start the class at 5:15 so there are some that are just looking for a drink after a long day of work. But as I was reminding everyone that we are “tasting” not drinking, I inadvertently came up with a catch phrase that I like to iterate as much as possible during these classes… that everyone should be “thinking while your drinking”.

That doesn’t mean you should be figuring out your dinner plans or performing high level mathematics while sipping on some lovely juice. It means that you should be examining the wine to some extent in terms of its aromas, flavors, mouth feel, texture, finish, length, possible food pairings and most importantly…if you are enjoying it and why or why not. It is easy to predetermine whether you think you will enjoy a wine based on the grape, region or even price. But we try and present classic examples of each grape variety produced in different regions to really determine its characteristics and how it can vary from region to region and why that may be. So by actually experiencing various wines from all over the world, everyone is beginning to figure out their own palate without being influenced by stereotypes or predisposed opinions.

For example, this week we took on Riesling…a very polarizing grape as most people either love it or hate it. Regardless, there is a general connotation out there that Riesling is sweet. Guess what, not so much! Of course there are many sweet Rieslings and some are even meant to be dessert wines. But they can also be made in a dry, crisp style and have very little residual sugar. In German wines you will often see Kabinett or Trocken on the label, which will note that it is in fact a dry Riesling. It was great to see some people come into the class “knowing” they didn’t like Riesling, but by the end of the class enjoying some of the selections that they weren’t aware even existed.

So by thinking while you’re drinking, you start to take into account all the different characteristics that make a wine what it is. How intense the aromas are on the nose, what kind of fruit aromas and flavors are present, how much oak was used and what kind, how acidic or tannic a wine is, what kind of food would make an enjoyable pairing and of course if you find a particular wine pleasing. After all a wine can be well made, expensive and have a 95+ rating…but if it doesn’t itch you where your scratchin’ than all of that don’t mean a thing.

Cheers!

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Having two children under 5, I have found that my list of restaurant options in Westchester has significantly dwindled. To go out to a nice restaurant with the whole family is just not worth it as it tends to frustrate just about all involved…from the kids, to my wife and I, to other diners and possibly even the staff. I guess that’s why places like Applebee’s and Chili’s are so popular. But if you are not into the whole chain restaurant scene but still want to enjoy a quality meal out with the family in a judgement free zone, then I have found the place for you… The Quaker Hill Tavern.

Located in Chappaqua, but close to Mount Kisco, this family owned, traditional style tavern really has it all. Plenty of craft and standard beers on tap, with rotating seasonal brews and the freedom to taste a few before deciding on your pint of choice. A simple menu that offers a plethora of options for adults, kids, meat lovers, vegans, hedonistic food mongers or those looking to keep it healthy. The wine list is small, but this is not a place to go for a great glass or bottle of wine. However they have enough completely decent by the glass options in red and white to keep everyone happy.

Upon our first venture to QHT I knew it was going to be great for the kids right from the get go. Just as we were being seated the waitress bought over a booster seat for my son. And I don’t mean one of those wood high chairs or the brown plastic generic booster seats. I’m talking about the same kind of booster seat he had at home that strapped on to the chair! With him feeling comfortable, the rest of the experience that night was a pleasure. Obviously I am not the only one who feels this way as on any given night you will find kids running around this loud and boisterous pub stopping by table to table to say hi, allowing the adults to maybe indulge in an extra pint ;)

The food is really solid across the board and I have yet to have anything I didn’t like. The burgers rank up there with the best in the county, and the wings are dynamite as well. My wife swears by the turkey burger and my buddy can’t go 2 weeks without his QHT buffalo chicken sandwich fix. Lastly, the service is everything you would hope for when bringing the family out to dine. Erin, the manager, and the entire staff are super accommodating and completely understand that the adults are looking to enjoy a meal out where the kids can be a little loud and loose. And after a few drinks, the adults start getting the same way. So if you desire a nice quiet meal at a local bar, don’t come here as it gets a little hairy. But if you are looking for some tasty eats, delicious beer on tap and an ultra family friendly environment then you definitely want to check Quaker Hill Tavern out….I’ll probably see you there!

Cheers,

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Recently the makers of Coravin put out a press release regarding a handful of bottles that ruptured while their product was being used. Coravin is a device that allows a needle to penetrate through the cork, displacing the air with argon while pouring out a glass of wine, and when the needle is pulled out the cork reseals itself like nothing ever happened. Quite a visionary concept that was all the rage until this bottle breakage issue arose.

Having tested the Coravin many times here’s my 2 cents. It is an amazing product but doesn’t quite do all that Coravin claims. Their stance is that you can use this and put bottles back in your cellar for months on months without affecting the integrity. I have gone back into bottles after months and while the wine was still ok, it was not all that it should have been. Regardless, it does allow wine consumers to tap into bottles and see how they are aging and allows a restaurant to serve just about any bottle by the glass. So that alone makes this an outstanding serve and preserve device.

So now there are reports of a handful (under 10) bottles breaking after being tapped into by the Coravin, a miniscule percentage compared to amount of bottles that have been “Coravined”. So how can that happen? In one word…pressure. The way the argon is introduced into the bottle is with pressure. So if there is too much pressure in a bottle, and the bottle itself is made of thinner glass and doesn’t have the punt at the bottom guess what can happen? You got it… crack!!!

But think about Champagne. Those bottles have pressure as well from the secondary fermentation which is what forces the cork out of those bottles. However Champagne is bottled in a much thicker glass so it can handle the pressure appropriately. Most quality wines that you would use a Coravin on also are made of thick glass and I’m sure have not been the culprits in this breakage issue that is all the buzz in the wine community.

My take on this situation is that some wine nuts out there are going Coravin crazy! They are using it on inexpensive bottles of wine when there is maybe only a glass of wine left or so in the bottle. So if you take a thin glass bottle with very little liquid and fill it up with gas, in turn over pressurizing the bottle, of course that bottle will break. I am not saying this is not an issue and yes, Coravin should have tested every facet of the product to avoid this from happening. But if you have one I wouldn’t be too concerned over this ordeal. Just make sure you are using it properly as well as on bottles that can withstand a little bit of pressure. Chances are if you spent $300 on this product you are not bothering using it on very inexpensive wine regardless, so Coravin away!

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Who Is This Guy?

Thanks for checking out the Westchester Wine Guy Blog! I’m a Wine Enthusiast, a CSW and a WSET Diploma candidate. I’m also a proud father of two, a wanna be 80's metal guitarist and golfer when time allows and undoubtedly a wine geek at heart.